Lamp guard



Sept. 7, 1948. I E 2,448,582

LAMP GUARD Fil ed Dec. 20, 1946 lfllllllllll INVENTO 24 v FLOYD M F/Af ATTORN EYS Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAMP GUARD.

Floyd M. Fike, Flagstaff, Ariz. ApplicationDecember 20, 1946, Serial No. 717,315

Claims. (01. 240 54) This invention relates to guards for electric light bulbs commonly known as trouble lights, and in particular a guard havin a wire section on one side and a shield on the other, wherein the sections are of rectangular shape to prevent rolling, and the adjoining edges of the sections are resiliently held together and provided with gripping surfaces so that the guard may be suspended from a projection, bolt, or edge of an object or device.

Trouble lights of this type are usually used in shops, and for repairing machinery and motor vehicles and trucks, and particularly when a mechanic is on his back under a car or truck it is objectionable to have the light roll over so that. the light shines in his eyes, and furthermore it is desirable to pick up the light and hang or attach it to the edge of the fender or other part of the vehicle.

With these ends in view this invention contemplates a guard for a trouble light having a handle with a socket for a bulb in one end, a shield covering substantially half of a light bulb held in the socket, a wire frame covering the other half of the bulb, a handle for opening the shield and frame, and means resiliently holding the shield and frame together.

' Guards of this type have also been found objectionable because it is difficult to replace light bulbs therein, and for this reason the guard of this invention is formed of two halves with their inner ends hinged and theirouter ends held together by a spring wherein the spring may readily be released so that the halves may be opened to remove and replace a light bulb.

The purpose of this invention is to incorporate in guards for trouble lights and the like gripping elements that may readily be opened and closed to release or grip objects or devices wherein the light may be suspended in substantially any position.

Mechanics working under the chassis of a truck or car are often inconvenienced by the light rollin over and shining directly in their eyes, and with this thought in mind the invention includes a guard for trouble lights in which the framework thereof is square so that when it is once placed in position it will not roll or turn over.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved guard for trouble lights and the like which includes gripping elements for suspending the light and a square frame which prevents rolling.

Another object is to provide a guard for trouble lights and the like which may readily be attached to a handle.

A further object is to provide an improved 2 guard for trouble lights and the like which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects in view the invention embodies a semicircular shield with a gripping jaw having teeth in the edge thereof, a complementary wire frame also having a gripping jaw with teeth in the edge, a sprin urging the jaws together, a handle for opening the jaws, and a clamp for attaching the jaws to a handle or the like.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

, Figure 1 is a view showing a side elevation of a trouble light with the improved guard mounted on the handle thereof.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the gripping jaws holding the light to a bolt head.

Figure 3 is a view showing an end elevation of the guard.

Figure 4 is a cross section through the guard on line 44 of Figure 1, the light bulb being removed.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts the lamp guard of this invention includes a shield lo a wire frame I I, a light bulb l2, and a handle l3 upon which the guard is mounted. The shield I0 is substantially semi-circular shape in cross section and on the open edge is a substantially semi-circular jaw I4 having teeth IS in the edge. A U-shaped rim "5 extends over the back of the shield to provide supporting means for the lamp which prevents rolling, and at the inner end of the shield is a clamp I! with a screw [8 through the open ends thereof by which the shield and guard are attached to a handle IS.

The wire frame I l is also provided with a substantially semi-circular shaped. jaw l9 that has teeth 20 in the outer edge, and the frame also is provided with a rim 2|, similar to the rim Hi, to prevent the guard rolling.

The inner end of the frame I I is hinged to ears 22 projecting from the edges of the shield ID by bolts 23 and a handle 24 is also pivotally mounted on the bolts 23 with the handle portion extending under the handle l3, and at the forward edges are clips 25 that lap over the edges of the frame H so that as the handle 24 is drawn upward against the handle l3 as shown in Figure 2 the jaws l4 and I9 will open so that they may be placed over the edges of a fender or other object, such as a bolt head 26, as shown in Figure 2.

The handle I3 is provided with a socket 21 to hold the light bulb l2, and a light cord 28 may exvehicle or the like may readily grip the handles 13 and 24 and pick up the light and then snap the jaws over any convenient projecting part of the vehicle or device and the lamp will be suspended thereby in substantially any position desired. The lamp may therefore be readily moved from place to place as the work progresses, and if it is placed on the floor or ground it will remain in the position in which it is placed, and

will not roll over to shine the light in the eyes of the mechanic. The light bulb may also be readily removed and replaced by unhooking on end of the spring 29 and opening the sections of the guard.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the design and construction without depart- "ing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. In a guard for portable electric lights and the like, a handle in which a lamp bulb is mounted, a shield covering substantially one-half of the bulb having a gripping jaw at the outer end and on the edge thereof, said shield having a rectangular shaped rim extending over the back :thereof, a wire frame covering the other half of the bulb, said wire frame also having a grippin aw at the outer end and on the edge there- !of and a, rectangular shaped rim extending over Ithe back thereof, means hinging the wire frame .to the shield, means resiliently urging the jaws :of the shield and frame together, and means clamping the shield on the end of the handle,

:2. A guard for a portable electric light including a bulb and socket, comprising a pair of ;guard-providing sections adapted to enclose said loulb, said sections including front and rear ends, means hingedly connecting said rear ends together, said front ends being formed to provide gripping jaws for gripping a support therebetween, and spring means loading said jaws in gripping directions.

3. A guard for a portable electric light including a bulb and socket, comprising a pair of guardproviding sections adapted to enclose said bulb, said sections including front and rear ends, said front ends being formed to provide gripping jaws for gripping a support therebetween, means mounting said rear end of one of said sections on said socket, means hingedly connecting said rear end of said other section to said first section adjacent the rear end of the latter, and spring means loading said jaws in gripping directions.

4. A guard for a portable electric light including a bulb and socket, comprising a pair of guardproviding sections adapted to enclose said bulb, said sections including front and rear ends, means hingedly connecting said rear ends together, said front ends being formed to provide gripping jaws for gripping a support therebetween, said jaws being formed to provide opposed pointed teeth, and spring 'means loading said jaws in gripping directions.

5. A guard for a portable electric light including a bulb and socket, comprising a pair of guardproviding sections adapted to enclose said bulb, said sections including front and rear ends,

means hingedly connecting said rear ends together, said front ends being formed to provide gripping jaws for gripping a support therebetween, spring means loading said jaws in grippin'g directions, a pair of actuating handles operatively associated with said sections and extending rearwardly'of said rear ends in spaced relation, and said handles being adapted to be moved relatively towards "each other to open said jaws.

FLOYD M.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

